Elastic fabric



April -v A. J. LUMSDEN 2,236,758

' ELASTIC FABRIC Filed April 2, 1940 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STAT ES PATENT oFFlcl:

I ELASTIC FABRIC Andrew J. Lumsden, Needham, Mass. Application April 2, 1940, Serial No; 327,412'

2 Claims.

My' present invention relates to elastic'fabrics, and more particularly to knitted elastic fabrics in which an elastic thread is incorporated for the purpose of producing a two-way stretch. By

this, I mean a fabric which possesses the characteristic of being capable of elastic stretch in two a bare elastic thread where loops must be formed.

In my invention, I produce a new fabric using either a bare or covered elastic thread, as desired. Preferably, I use a bare elastic thread.

In the more conventional elastic fabric, it has been the practice to lay a covered elastic thread between the cylinder and dial needle loops and while this method gives a one-Way stretch it does not prevent'the elastic thread from pulling out when out by a sewing needle leaving unsightly' places in the fabric. In other kinds of elastic knitted fabric where the elastic thread isknitted v to form certain of the loops, the cutting or breaking of one of these threads releases a whole chain of loops producing runs in the material.

In my present invention, I have produced an elastic fabric in which the elastic thread is wrapped by the sinker loop bight between each cylinder and dial needle loop but does not substitute itself for any of the inelastic threads which make up the dial and cylinder needle loops or their connecting thread. Because of this construction, the elastic thread may be broken, out, or otherwise severed at any point and will not pull out, drop stitches and produce runs, or in other ways effect the fabric in any appreciable manner. This efiect is produced by the wrapping of the sinker loop bight between each loop, as above mentioned.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide an improved elastic fabric.

Another object is to produce an improved elastic fabric 'using a bare elastic thread which is wrapped by the sinker loop bight between each loop thereby preventing the pulling out or'creeping of a severed elastic thread.

Still another object is an improved fabric having an inserted elastic thread which is wrapped by the sinker loop bight thereby producing a two-way stretch in the fabric, and

Other objects and novel features comprising my improved elastic fabric will be apparent as the description of the same progresses. In the drawing illustrating my invention, the single figure shows a fragmentary plan view of the knitted material greatly exaggerated in scale and expanded to clearly. show the different I threads and the manner in which the elastic thread is wrapped by thesinker loop bight.

In the drawing and description of my invention, I have indicated the material in connection with circular knitting but it is to be understood that this is merely for illustrative purposes as other methods of knitting may be used wherever desirable.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, C indicates the cylinder needle and D the dial needle as used in a circular knitting machine.

l0 indicates the chain of loops formed by the cylinder needles and II indicates the chain of loops formed by the dial needles. These chains of loops are referred to in my appended claims,

as plainwales and rib wales respectively. At I2 I haveindicated an elastic thread.

By an inspection of the single figure compris-' ing the drawing it will be noted that the elastic thread i2 is laid between the courses of loops l0 and II formed by the needles C and D which form the plain and rib wales respectively.

Connecting the plain and rib Wale loops in and I I is the connecting strand called the sinker loop bight indicated at l3. It will be noted by an inspection of. the figure comprising the drawing.

that the sinker loop bights are wrapped around 'the elastic thread between the loops l0 and H in each course. While I have shown the elastic thread wrapped by the sinker loop bight between adjoining plain and rib wale loops, I may where desired, space the wrapping of the elastic thread by the sinker loop bights further apart. In similar manner, I may insert the elastic thread in each course or in every several courses instead of every other course, as shown.

When laying the elastic thread I! in place in the knitting operation, the tension on the elastic thread is slightly greater than that on theinelastic threads forming the loops I0 and II and the connecting sinker loop bights [3 thereby giving a slight tension to the elastic thread I2 in the finished fabric. I

In forming my fabric on a standard cylinder and dial knitting machine, a plain course of .nonelastic thread loops are first formed on the cylinder and dial needles. The cylinder and dial needles are then placed in a tuck position the elastic thread now being fed to the hooks of the needles, which inturn, are drawn into the edge of the dial and cylinder. The stretch and width of the fabric may be regulated by the distance the dial needles are drawn away from the cylinder needles. By varying the tension of the elastic thread the stretch of the fabric may be regulated. The stretch will also vary with the diameter of the elastic thread.

Since the elastic thread is not knitted but is held in the hooks of the needles, provision must be made to hold the said elastic thread I! in position so that when the cylinder and dial needles are placed in a knit position to form the next course, the elastic thread will slide toward the shanks of the needles and be prevented from rising or jumping from the needles. This may be accomplished by several methods, as for instance, holding every other needle or every fourth needle in the dial in a no-knit position and drawn back far enough tc-hold the elastic thread I! and at the same time allow the cylinder and dial needles to rise to a knit position.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. An improved elastic knit fabric, said fabric having plain wales; rib wales and sinker loop bights connecting said plain and rib wales, and an elastic thread, said elastic thread being located in spaced courses and in front of the said rib wales and behind the said plain wales, and the said sinker loop bights being wrapped around the said elastic thread.

2. In a rib knit fabric having alternating rib wales and plain wales and an elastic strand incorporated in spaced courses therein, said strand passing behind said plain wales and in front of said rib wales, sinker'loop bights connecting the said plain and rib wales, said sinker loop bights beingwrapped around said elastic strand.

ANDREW J. LUMSDEN. 

